NEWS 5 IN BRIEF Wildlife talk STUDENTS at McArthur Park Kindergarten in Millicent have recently welcomed a South East Wildlife Rescue representative who explained her role as a caretaker for native animal babies. She generously donated her time travelling from Mount Gambier and introduced a fourmonth-old swamp wallaby and hairless tiny joey to the children. Her visit highlighted the importance of volunteers who care for wildlife by looking after orphaned animals. New dentist ROBE’S main thoroughfare Victoria Street has a new business. Vic Street Dental opened last month. It is staffed by dentist Dr Peter Shakes, along with dental therapist Jane Gould and dental assistant Nikki Cryer. Notice of Meeting Special Council Meeting Notice is hereby given that a Special meeting of the Council is scheduled to be held on Tuesday 23 June 2015 at 5.00 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to adopt Council’s 2015/16 Annual Business Plan and Budget. This meeting is to be held in the Council Chambers, ‘Civic Centre’, George Street, Millicent and the meeting is open to the public. The public are most welcome to attend and view the proceedings of all Council meetings. The agenda for this meeting will be available to view on Council’s website at www.wattlerange. sa.gov.au on the day of the meeting. Peter Harriott VOTING OPEN: Millicent Business Community Association chairperson Marg Chapple encourages all community members to lodge nominations for the MBCA 2015 Outstanding Business Awards. Service awards THE Millicent Business Community Association (MBCA) is seeking nominations for the annual outstanding business awards. Association chairperson Marg Chapple encouraged community members to identify and congratulate the many hard-working businesses and individuals in the area by submitting nominations. “When you walk out of a business and feel good about the way you have been looked after and people have done their best to provide exceptional service, take the next step and nominate them,” she said. “We have some exceptional businesses in Millicent and there are people who travel from far away to shop here. “This is a way of acknowledging those exceptional businesses and the services they provide. “The success of the awards is a result of the community voters, so we encourage everyone who has experienced great service to vote.” Nominations close on Tuesday, June 30, and can be lodged at The South Eastern Times, 5THE FM, Wattle Range Council chambers and the Millicent Visitor Property owner handballs bridge load restrictions back to council WATTLE Range Council Deputy Mayor Rob Dycer has fielded an informal complaint about a council decision on bridge load limits from Grant District Council deputy chief executive Jane Fetherstonaugh. Cr Dycer explained the unusual set of circumstances in the general business section of the June monthly council meeting in Millicent. He said Ms Fetherstonaugh raised the matter with him at a recent football match. According to Cr Dycer, council’s recent decision to impose load limits on certain bridges at the request of the Millicent-based South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board had adversely impacted on the Fetherstonaugh family farm at Kalangadoo. “Bulk fuel tankers can no longer get onto their property,” Cr Dycer said. “The person making the complaint is the deputy CEO of Grant Council.” In reply to Cr Dycer’s queries, engineering services director Peter Halton said he had made a physical assessment of the bridges in question and had referred his assessment back to the drainage board. He said no cracking was evident and the risk may have been overstated. Mr Halton said he would meet with the drainage board in the near future. The South Eastern Times approached Ms Fetherstonhaugh to explain the impact of the bridge load limits on her farming enterprise. She made the complaint to Cr Dycer in her capacity as a ratepayer and landowner and not as Grant District Councl deputy chief executive. www.thesoutheasterntimes.com.au “There was absolutely no consultation with affected landowners by the Wattle Range Council before resolving to impose the load limit, which I find utterly insulting,” Ms Fetherstonhaugh said. “If I had not looked at the Wattle Range Council meeting agenda, the first we would have known about it was when the sign was put up. “They can blame this on the drainage board, however it is council’s decision at the end of the day as the board does not have any authority under the Road Traffic Act to install control devices. “I believe Wattle Range Council should be taking a bigger stand on this issue. “ According to Ms Fetherstonhaugh, the State Government seems to have plenty of money to spend on projects such as the $160m O-Bahn extension, the North South Corridor Project and many others, but can only come up with $2.2m per year to maintain its 1500km of drains in the South East. “More than 75pc of these funds are being spent on administration,” she said. “In the engineering services direc- tor’s report, he stated that the load limit should not affect too many local residents and their farming activities, however a 15-tonne load limit on the Mitchell Lane Bridge would severely impact on our ability to operate our farming business as this is the only road into our property. “It also affects our neighbours who operate a feedlot on their property “As well as fuel tankers, stock trucks, hay trucks and fire tankers, the Wattle Range Council grader would also not be able to cross the bridge.” Information Centre. Community members can vote online at millicentbca.wordpress. com. “Completed nominations are already being returned, which is great news,” Ms Chapple said. “Online is where we received a majority of our votes last year, so we are positive the site will attract a similar number of entries.” Winners will be announced on Saturday, July 25, at the Millicent Business Community Association Outstanding Business Awards Cabaret at the Millicent Civic and Arts Centre. Board to reassess recommendations SOUTH Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board presiding member Frank Brennan claims access restrictions resulting from introduction of load limits on road bridges servicing the Fetherstonaugh property were recently bought to the attention of the body. Mr Brennan said the Drainage Board subsequently engaged the Department for Planning Transport and Infrastructure to undertake an independent assessment of a number of bridges across the South East region. He said the department provided advice to the board that certain bridges required load limiting due to their current condition and structural integrity. “This included the two bridges on Mitchell Road and Rogers Road over Drain A and servicing the Fetherstonaugh property,” Mr Brennan said. “The Drainage Board appropriately consulted with the relevant councils about the outcome of the bridge assessments and advised them of the recommended load limits for bridges in their region as the board does not have the authority to impose load limits on road bridges.” He said the relevant councils subsequently resolved to introduce the load limits on the identified bridges and erected the appropriate signage. “The Drainage Board and the councils involved have in my view acted responsibly in appropriately addressing the issue of public safety when it comes to the board’s bridge infrastructure and road users,” Mr Brennan said. “In response to the circumstances around the Fetherstonaughs not having any heavy vehicle access to their property resulting from the bridge load limits, the Drainage Board has sought additional structural assessment work to be undertaken on these bridges to review the load limit requirements and ascertain what work needs to be undertaken on the bridges to remove the load limit.” 673056 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Request for Tenders Mulching of Green Waste Council is inviting tenders for the provision of Green Waste Mulching at the Resource Recovery Centres in Millicent and Penola, and at the Waste Transfer Station in Beachport. Tenders close at 5pm on Tuesday 30 June 2015. Documents are available only at the SA Tenders website www.tenders.sa.gov.au, Category: Environmental Services. under the Peter Harriott CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER knits in store now New winter H WIN A $1000 bank account • CASH OR CARD ONLY • District for May Sponsored by: l Beachport .................. Phone 8733 2733 • 62 Mt Gambier Rd, Millicent - Cape Jaffa ............ 70.6 Coonawarra ........... 73.0 Lucindale.................51.8 Kalangadoo ............81.6 Kingston ................. 62.6 Millicent ................. 91.8 Mt Gambier ............94.6 Nangwarry .............81.9 Penola ....................94.0 Policeman Point .......61.4 Robe ...................... 78.6 Rainfall recorded (in mm) for the month of March 2015, issued by the Bureau of Meteorology SA Regional Office. 664538 The South Eastern Times, Tuesday, June 16, 2015 - 5 24 George Street, Millicent P: 08 8733 2512 R R f N E ain O a P l • T Y • E O E C U A C H O • • S H R 673470 669024